


Rose-Tinted Memories: Bonding Time

by Audrey_Lynne



Series: Rose-Tinted Memories [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Amethyst is insecure, Fluff, Gen, Itty Bitty Amethyst, Pre-Series, Raising Amethyst, Rose Gives the Best Cuddles, Rose knows what little quartzes need, shameless fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-27
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-23 11:04:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6114523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Audrey_Lynne/pseuds/Audrey_Lynne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Garnet and Pearl won't admit it, but they're afraid to challenge Amethyst physically because they know what kind of Gem she is.</p><p>Rose wants to do exactly that, because she knows what kind of Gem Amethyst is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rose-Tinted Memories: Bonding Time

**Author's Note:**

> This was a little snippet I wrote for an ask meme response on my Amethyst RP blog, about a character's memories of their mother. I ended up really loving it, so I thought I'd share it here.

* * *

 

 

She hadn’t been with the Crystal Gems long, barely even long enough to know why they’d needed the designation or the history of the name.  (She had learned both very quickly from Pearl, however.)  Garnet was hard to understand sometimes, but overall very nice.  Pearl…Amethyst wasn’t quite sure how to take her.  She had been very formal with Amethyst from the start, warming to her sometimes but distanced and suspicious at others.  Maybe it was because Amethyst came from the Bad Place.  She heard them talking about it sometimes when they thought she wasn’t nearby.

But then there was Rose.  Amethyst _adored_ Rose.  Once she’d gotten used to being any place but the Kindergarten and having other Gems around, she’d started to bond with Rose quickly.  Cuddles were always available when she wanted them and Rose seemed to have infinite patience with her when she made mistakes in training.  Which she did, often.  A little too often for Pearl’s liking, sometimes.

Amethyst perked up when she saw Rose was the one coming to get her for her training session that day.  These were her favorite days, with Rose.  Even when Pearl was around, she deferred to whatever Rose had to say.  And Pearl wasn’t really that bad.  She was just really particular in most of the ways Amethyst was absolutely not.  “Hi!”

“Well, hello.”  Rose smiled, obliging Amethyst and picking her up when she neared.  “We’re going to do something a little different today.”

“Oh?”  Amethyst frowned.  She was excited by the prospect, but she also feared not being very good at whatever Rose had planned and disappointing her.

Rose nodded, drawing her shield and crouching down after she set Amethyst back on the floor.  “I want you to attack me.  Come at me with whatever you’ve got.”

Amethyst’s frown deepened.  “But I don’t want to hurt you!”

“You won’t,” Rose assured her.  “I know a few things about defense, remember.  But we’ve been holding back with you.  I want to see what you’re capable of.  And be prepared to defend yourself as well.  I’m no wilting flower.”

In that case, what could Amethyst do but oblige?  And, as she quickly found out, she was far outmatched by Rose’s experience and tactical brilliance, not to mention her size advantage.  It ended in a friendly wrestling match, both of them tumbling around and laughing.  Amethyst snuggled close as Rose declared the training over for the day.

“You did well,” Rose assured her, ruffling Amethyst’s hair.  Amethyst wondered, not for the first time, if it was possible to hide in Rose’s hair and how Pearl resisted the temptation if so.  “But, more importantly, did you have fun?”

“Yes!”  Amethyst nodded.  It _was_  fun, and she’d felt so free, chasing and dodging and fighting like she usually wasn’t allowed to.  

“I thought you might need that.”  Rose nodded.  “It’s probably best we keep these particular sessions between the two of us.  The others, they mean well, and they want to focus on other aspects of your training.  I understand.  As Crystal Gems, we fight to defend ourselves, not for the love of it.  But…I have a perspective they don’t.  Something neither of them would understand.”  

Amethyst’s eyes widened.  “What’s that?”  Was Rose about to trust her with a secret even _Pearl_  didn’t know?

Rose smiled in that serene way she had, swatting Amethyst’s shoulder playfully before pulling her close again.  “I was once a young quartz, too.”

 

* * *

 


End file.
